Look at the bottom of the agenda to review the introduction items, and you will see a “Resolution adopting a Statement of Incarceration Prevention, Criminal Justice, and Jail Planning Principles for Whatcom County’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems (AB2016-072).” Any comments on that will need to be made at open session in the evening.
At 9:30, the natural resources committee will be reviewing mineral and forestry resource lands from Chapter 8 of the Comp. Plan. (Note: Good place for comments on wood smoke issues.)
At 1:30, the public works committee will be discussing drones (!),the preliminary Jail Capital Improvement Plan (AB2016-079), discussion with the County Executive on the preliminary Capital Improvement Plan (AB2016-080) and a discussion on Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5, Utilities (AB2016-047E)
At 3 PM, the committee of the whole will be provide preliminary Council direction on urban growth areas, which are addressed in Comprehensive Plan Chapter 2, Land Use (including discussion on Sudden Valley) (AB2016-047B).
Public comments are allowed if time allows, but this looks like a rather packed day, so it would be a good idea to get your comments submitted in writing ASAP.
In the evening, there is a hearing on a Parks Resolution adopting the 2016 Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan (AB2016-062A) (approval of this item is scheduled for February 23). The Parks Department does things in a very complex and confusing way, with a GMA plan that differs from its parks master plan. My big concern is that all those nice policies regarding wildlife and habitat never seem to be actually be implemented in real life. I would like some accountability that lands will be set aside just for habitat. To date, this has occurred for approximately 0% of our public lands.
noisy waters northwest 